Inside a Craft-Driven Weekend Home on the Shores of Lake Michigan

When Judy Olson Dunne was growing up in the Midwest, weekends at Lake Michigan left a lasting impression. So the designer and founder of New York interiors firm Butter & Eggs jumped at the opportunity to craft a vacation home on a bluff in New Buffalo, a picturesque Michigan town hugging the water’s southeastern edge. “You drive an hour from Chicago, and soon you’re on this magnificent lake, and it truly feels like vacation has begun,” she says. The idyllic setting and artful enclave—New Buffalo is known for historic architecture, notable restaurants, and thriving maker scene—perfectly suited her clients, a pair of Chicago-based empty nesters who were seeking a weekend refuge within easy reach of the city. 

The homeowners arrived with a collaborative spirit and a clear vision for the residence, which consists of a pavilion-like central volume flanked by two gabled limestone structures that Chicago firm Wheeler Kearns Architects built from the ground up. Privacy was essential, so wraparound clerestories keep the street-facing side opaque while drawing soft daylight into the airy interiors. As one moves through, “the lake side opens dramatically to capture the changing light and lake views,” explains principal Jon Heinert of the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. “We designed the house to gradually unfold.” 

Beyond privacy and lake views, the brief had a few non-negotiables: fit for entertaining and unfussy, craft-forward interiors from which to soak in the languorous idyll. Such an ambition finds ready footing on the windswept bluff—and an ideal collaborator in Dunne, who launched her business as a Tribeca homewares store in 2002 before pivoting fully to devising impeccably chic city residences six years later. “The house offers a front-row seat to Lake Michigan throughout the year,” muses Dunne, who recalls watching both brilliant sunsets and winter squalls sweep across the water. “I think of the large windows as a movie screen facing the lake.” So she created the most comfortable vantage point possible. 

From the outset, she found a confidante in Mother Nature herself. A smattering of autumnal foliage, late-day sunlight, mossy greens, and drifting clouds coalesce into a coolheaded palette throughout, complemented by her own discerning sensibilities and a steadfast devotion to supporting American artists and craftspeople. Take the entryway, in which a wall installation of resin leaves, birds, and insects fashioned by Charleston sculptor Joe Walters seems to clamber up mossy grasscloth wallpaper. Nearby, a guest bedroom’s reeded window perfectly frames a fiery-hued Japanese maple tree. “It practically glows when sunlight passes through the leaves,” marvels Dunne. “Those moments appear constantly as you move through the house.” 

As does a remarkable array of artisanal treasures. Anchoring the dining area is a 12-foot-long walnut table by Brooklyn woodworker Palo Samko, who inset antique timepiece gears across its surface and arranged them into constellations, including Cassiopeia and another that mirrors the Michigan night sky on a date meaningful to the homeowners. Cosmic notes continue in the branched brass and porcelain chandelier by Lowland Studio overhead, and a vibrant abstract by Karina Gentinetta on the wall. “It’s a wonderful explosion of color that somehow manages to not be too frenetic,” raves Dunne, who further outfitted the scene with tactile ceramics by some of her favorite makers, including Bari Ziperstein and Jane Yang-D’Haene. “Having a client who loves ceramics as much as I do is dangerous, but dangerous in the best possible way.”

Such meaningful pieces abound—Dunne was also closely involved in assembling the client’s art collection, much of it celebrating nature and landscapes. “There were so many pieces collected specifically for this home,” she says. In the living area, vintage ceramic lamps with moon jar–like bases rest atop the client’s heirloom German chest repainted a handsome russet orange while a Starns Brothers triptych of insects hangs behind it. Along a connecting corridor, a fiber work by Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson emanates sunsetty hues. “Wherever we can support artists making wonderful things, that’s really important to me,” shares Dunne, who gravitates most toward artists who imbue their work with authentic, deeply personal touches. “I feel fortunate to be in a field that allows me to champion makers and share their work with clients.”

The family entertains often, but even the house’s quieter moments make memorable gestures. “I strongly believe in separating public and private areas so people can gather together but still retreat when they want downtime,” says Dunne, who credits Wheeler Kearns for organizing and executing that dynamic with precision. The primary suite, which occupies the upper floor with a library, office, and bath overlooking the lake, is anchored by an impressive walnut bed with integrated nightstands fashioned by St. Louis woodworker David Stine, a longtime friend of the clients, in his most ambitious commission to date. The primary bath’s freestanding soaking tub stands before a dazzling feature wall of aquamarine zellige tiles. Subtle shifts in tone animate the surface and catch the light in a way that recalls reflections glinting on water; its floor mosaic invokes the geometry of an American quilt. 

Each area carries its own visual identity. A cave-like powder room, for example, introduces darker notes—lacquered black grasscloth harmonizes beautifully with a mossy green marble counter, accompanied by figurative Mediterranean ceramics and a Hunt Slonem owl painting. Dunne, however, singles out an unexpected favorite. “The screened porch surprised me most,” she admits. “We built a bench around part of the perimeter, and it became an ideal gathering place. It’s comfortable, relaxed, and perfect for spending time together.” The room affirms that the most cherished moments in a house often arise in the most unassuming corners.